Lemuel c



(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

L. C. NEAL..

CURRENT MOTOR, l

Patfnted Mar. 29, 1892'.

(No Model.) A 2 Sheets-Sheet 2. L. 0. NRAL.

, CURRENT MOTOR. y

No. 471,564. PatentedMar. 29, y1892.

UNTED STATES PATENT Ormea@ LEMUEL C. NEAL, OF LEWISTO, IDAHO.

CURRENT-MOTORI.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 471,564, dated March'29, 1892.

Application filed October 16, 1891. Serial No. 408,888. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, LEMUEL C. NEAL, a citizen of the United States, residing at Lewiston,

in the county of Nez Perces and State of Idaho, have invented a new and useful Current-Motor, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to current-motors; and it has for its object to provide a motor of this character which will be simple in construction, but which will provide means Wherebythe full head of water in a running stream will be concentrated upon the motor and fully utilized, and also means wherebyv the motor .will be protected from drift or foreign matter floating down the stream, and one in which ready means is provided for shutting off the water from running through the motor. With these and other objects in View the invention consists in an endless-chain paddlewheel located within a sluice or water Way, and which is constructed and arranged in the novel manner hereinafter more fully described, illustrated, and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective View of a current-motor constructed in accordance with my invention, illustrated as anchored in a stream. Fig. 2 is a longitudinal sectional View of the same,

. the motor connected with a flat-boat and the front gate being shown in both positions. Fig. 3 is a detail in perspective of one of the paddle-blades attached to a portion of the endless chains. Fig. 4 is a similar view of the hinged gate.

Referring to the accompanying drawings, l represents the sluice or Water way, which is constructed of any suitable material, and which comprises, as illustrated in the drawings, the upwardly-extending sides 2 and the bottom 3, said sides being provided with hollow compartments 4, which support or iioat the said sluiceway Within or just beneath the surface of the water; but any convenient or ordinary means for floating said sluiceway may be advantageously employed, as illustrated in Fig. 2,'in which the said sluice is constructed beneath and connected to an ordinary fiat-boat 5. The sides and bottom of the said sluice or water Way are covered with planking 6, which presents a smooth and unin,and thereby fully utilized without the formation of eddies or Whirlpools within the water-way as it the same were of the same width throughout, said sluice or the boats or iioats carrying the same being suitably anchored by lopes or chains 7, connected to the front end thereof and and anchored within the stream or on the banks thereof.

Upon the top of the sides 2 at the front and rear ends of the sluice are journaled in suitable bearings 8 the transverse shafts 9, each of which carry the sprocket-wheels l0, mounted upon the same near the sides of the sluice and parallel with each other, and are adapted to accom mod ate the opposite endless chains or belts 12, passing over each sidepair of said Wheels, which are turned by the action of the Water upon the flat paddles or blades 13, secured transversely to each chain or belt at regular intervals thereon. The said paddles or blades 13 are provided with the opposite offstanding brackets 14, secured upon the edges thereof and adapted to Abe adjacent to the chain, and said brackets are loosely swung at their outer ends, which are almost in a line with the bottom edges of the blades upon thev transverse rods or stationary' shafts l5, secured at regular intervals parallel with each other in the opposite parallel endless chains passing over said sprocket-wheels, and thus permit the' said blades to swing loosely over the said chains. As the endless Waterwheel revolves under the action of current of Water passing in the sluice, each paddle or blade, which are in any number desired, according to the length of the motor, as the same passes over the forward set of sprocket-wheels drops to a vertical position within the sluice or water way, and thus presents a face to theY current of Water to act upon, said blades or paddles being prevented from passing beyond their perpendicular position under the force IOO ot' -Water bymeans of the stop chains or ropes 16, secured tothe free edges thereof and connected with each endless chain. The paddles or blades pass along near the bottom of the sluice or water Way to the rear end there of, when the same pass over the rear set of sprocket-Wheels and drop of their own Weight flat upon the endless chains, and thus present no retarding motion to the air to hinder the free revolutions of the wheel. It may valso be noted at this point that the offstanding brackets are secured to the blades in from the ends, so as to allow the said endsto rest upon the chains when the blades are vertical, and thus materially assist in bracing the same. Extending up fromV each of the sides 2, inclosing the said sluice or water Way are the arms 17, provided with a series of perforations 18, that are adapted to adjustably journal the shaft 20, working in said perforation and carrying the supporting and tension roller 21, which prevents the endless chain from sagging inward and also regulates the .tension thereof.

A combined water-gate and break or strainer 22 is hinged upon the pivots 23 to the bottom of the side 2 at the front flared end of the sluice or Water way, and is designed to prevent drift or other dbris from injuring the interior Water-wheel, and also when it is desired forthe machinery to be stopped to shut off the supply of water from the sluiceway. The said gate is provided with a bottom 24, comprising the gate proper, and which, when the same is in its normal lower position, forms a continuation of the bottom 3 of the sluice and also the upwardly-projecting sides 25, extending forwardly at an angle and Working upon the outer ends of the sides 2 and are connected together by the top piece 26,.Which incloses the front opening of said gate, which is flared to correspond with the front of the sluice or water Way, b nt is covered bya series of spaced bars or slats 27, which form astrain er or guard which protects the interior wheel. To the opposite sides 25 of said gate are secured the upwardly-extending arms 28, which, by means of the connecting,` cords or ropes 29, are connected with the Winding windlass or shaft 30, journals-d in bearings 31 upon the top side of the sluice or Water way and provided at one side with a crank-handle 32, by means of which the same is revolved, and, Winding the connecting cords or ropes thereon, causes the front gate, when desired, to be elevated, so that the gate proper or bottom 24 thereof is brought into a position against the slanting edges 33 of the sides 2, and thus shuts off the stream of water, so that the same cannot act directly against the blades or paddles of the endless wheel within the sluice or Water way,

thus combining a guard with a water-gate, as

previously set forth.

The various parts of my improved motor and its operation are now thought to be apparent without further description, motionbeing communicated from the same through a pulley 34, carriedL upon one end of one of the shafts 9. d

Having thus described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent is- 1f In a current-motor, the combination, with suitable floats, of a funnel-shaped sluice or water way connected with said float, a rectangular gate and guard pivoted to the front flared end of said sluice and provided w1tl1 fenders across the front thereof, an endless chain paddle-wheel located within said slu1ce, and means for raising and lowering said gate and guard over the front end of said slu1ce, substantially as set forth. y

2. In a current-motor, a sluice or Water Way comprising a bottom and converging sides having hollow compartments, a chain paddlewheel mounted upon and within said slu1ce, a combined water-gate and guard pivoted to the front flared end of said sluice, a windlass or shaft journaled upon the top sides of said sluice, and ropes or chains connected to sald gate and guard and adapted to be wound upon said shaft or windlass for raising and lowering the gate, substantially as set forth.

3. In a current-motor, the combination, wlth a sluice or Water Way and a Water-wheel located or mounted therein, of acombined gate and guard pivoted to the front end of said lwater Wheel mounted within said sluice, a

rectangular gate having its sides and bottom overlapping and Workingr over the front end of the bottom and sides of said sluice and pivoted to thelower front end of the same,guards or fenders secured across the front of said gate, npwardlyextending arms secured to the top of said gate, a windingdrum or windlass j ournaled upon the top of said sl uiceway, and ropes or chains connecting said arms with said drum or windlass, substantially as set forth.

IOL;

5. In a current-motor, the combination, with tom edgesof the same in from the ends and In testimony that I claim the foregoing as having theii` outer ends loosely engaging said my own I have hereto aixed my signature in stationary rods nearly in a line with the botthe presence of two Witnesses. tom edges of said blades, and stop chains or -Y LEMUEL C. NEAL.

5 ropes Gonneeted to the top swinging edges of Witnesses:

said blades and each endless chain, substan- SAMUEL PAULSON, tially as set forth. WILL A. FLEMING. 

